How To Save Fuel - Economy Driving Techniques

[Unknownsoldier]

I believe the cyclinders are just 'spinning free' at constant speed..... but I'm probably wrong.

Tom

[NoNumpty]

Originally Posted by DeanFYoung

Surely there has to be some combustion going on in the chamber, even if absolutely minimal. The cylinders are still firing aren't they?

Not for the i-CTDi and i-VTEC engines - they use ZERO, NULL, ZILCH, NADA, NOTHING, NILL fuel

[Unknownsoldier]

Thought so, as I find I can get my fuel quite good if I use a blip of the throttle to aid going up hill then using the gears to 'coast' down the other side.

Also, just of note, coasting indicates the car is out of gear or the clutch depressed, otherwise your just not using the accelerator (use of the accelerator is not a necessity of driving, some journeys in Canterbury can be made almost without it!!!! ).

Tom

[Bungle]

Coasting means driiving with no gear engaged i.e. clutch down. I would make no difference what gear was selected as it is not engaged. So I'm not sure what difference there is between "coasting in neuttral" and "coasting in gear" is.
In this respect coasting is an extremely bad driiving habbit and will not help economy, and it can seriously reduce control!

[Unknownsoldier]

Exactly my point, coasting is dangerous, whereas, rolling in gear with 'clutch up' (i.e not coasting, but driving without use of the accelerator), is sensible and I use it all the time in traffic to progress as smoothly as possible.

Tom

[parsnip]

I'd add not filling up to the brim unless you have to, put in what you need.
I've filled up brim to brim to measure mpg, but now i know the display is accurate I wont bother and will just add what i need to save weight. A 50 litre tank weighs about 38kg.

Originally Posted by Munro

I still believe coasting in neutral can reduce fuel consumption.

A Coasting in Neutral, zero throttle

B Coasting in gear, zero throttle

So for optimum fuel saving
- If you want to maintain momentum use A
- If you have to slow down anyway use B

I think coasting out of gear would reduce it, but coasting in gear will reduce it more.

And if that's true I can't see a circumstance where there'd be a benefit coasting out of gear as appose to coasting in gear?

[NEEMSTAR]

Originally Posted by Bungle

Coasting means driiving with no gear engaged i.e. clutch down. I would make no difference what gear was selected as it is not engaged. So I'm not sure what difference there is between "coasting in neuttral" and "coasting in gear" is.

sorry, when i said coasting in gear i meant the car IN gear but using no throttle and like Tom, just occasional blips of the throttle to maintain speed up hill.

[lxf2442]

park it up and walk!

[Harlequin]

Coasting in neutral is illegal in Australia.

That solves that debate

-H

[minisweeper]

I assume you guys (UK ones at least) watched Top Gear on Sunday? This whole discussion goes out the window when you learn that the BMW M3 is more efficient than a Toyota Prius and the Audi R8 is a very efficient car...!

[Unknownsoldier]

There are ways of proving 'efficiency' (choosing the right moment is one of them ).

Also where they measuring Dust-to-Dust efficiency????

Tom

[Unknownsoldier]

Originally Posted by Harlequin

Coasting in neutral is illegal in Australia.

That solves that debate

-H

How would they tell???? Very fast policemen sprinting alongside watching your feet Love to see some cop trying to keep up with an R

Tom

[DeanFYoung]

I didnt watch TG, missed it! But I find that very hard to believe...
but then again the word "efficient" is a very useful word. After all a 747 is more fuel 'efficient' per head than a standard family car...but it still pollutes like crap...

[harleyfatboy]

Talking of the darkside ... Off Topic tangent time .... My sister lives in Woolongong NSW.... now all the social clubs there as you go in ask for your car keys.... and when you leave only if sober do you get them back . If not you get a cab back next day to pick em up ....save gettin a bad finish to a good night ...Dont know if that applies to most of Oz or maybe just a few states ... ON A STEEL HORSE I RIDE

[NEEMSTAR]

Originally Posted by DeanFYoung

I didnt watch TG, missed it! But I find that very hard to believe...
but then again the word "efficient" is a very useful word. After all a 747 is more fuel 'efficient' per head than a standard family car...but it still pollutes like crap...

lol the R8 was "more" efficient than other super cars (was actually 5 mpg round the track (compared to the other cars which ranged from 1 - 4 mpg )

and the M3 WAS more efficient because it was hardly ticking over as it kept up with the prius, whilst the prius was having its neck rung as they ragged it around the track

[NH Dan]

For those of you with petrol cars, take a look at the inside of your petrol flap.

"Premium/Super 95RON"

Hondas, along with most other modern cars, are designed to run on stuff like Vpower and BP ultimate, hence the fact that most of us who fill up with the cheap gunk don't get anywhere near the manufacturers quoted mpg's. Yes, its more expensive but YES, you WILL go further on it.

The air con uses too much fuel argument is nowhere as valid nowadays as it once was. It is a fact that you will use less fuel driving along with the A/C on at a sensible level than you would on the same journey with your drivers window open.

I was quite surprised to see that Top Gear were being almost sensible in their approach with the Prius and BMW argument, as i've posted in the hybrid thread, you only need to see the auto express article to see that they ragged the hell out of the Hybrid, then wonder why its CO2 emmissions were so high....

[Foggy69]

Probably a silly question, but does having the A/C on full blast trying to cool a very warm car, rather than just keeping a steady temp, make any difference to fuel consumption.

[minisweeper]

Indeed Neemstar - I totally understand how and why they got the results but it's still an entertaining story Can always rely on Clarkson to take the piss out of everything people are worrying about.

That said, I've never been too impressed with the Prius anyway. I took one for a test drive when buying my civic and I was only just nudging over 50mpg on the trip computer - for the sake of being able to put my foot down and go somewhere i'd much rather drive the civic at 45mpg. I guess the Prius is great in inner cities but it's not really designed to be used out in the country at average speeds above 30mph.

It's pretty challenging to measure dust to dust accurately but Clarkson did comment on the fact that the environmental impact of manufacturing the prius is FAR greater than the saving of running it. Yet people who drive them still get to save a ton of cash for being green

[NEEMSTAR]

The prius is a tree killer

[NH Dan]

Originally Posted by Foggy69

Probably a silly question, but does having the A/C on full blast trying to cool a very warm car, rather than just keeping a steady temp, make any difference to fuel consumption.

Yup it does. same as if you had a fridge in the middle of the arizona desert. its going to have to work harder to get to and maintain 'cold' than the one in your kitchen.